With sales down on an individual basis on a lot of comic titles and weak graphic novel sales (see 'Sales Still Sliding on Top Titles'), the market struggled to a 2% increase in dollars for November 2003 vs. November 2004. This compares favorably to last month, when dollars were down 16% vs. October 2003.

The market found that modest growth in periodical sales, which were up 7%; graphic novels were down 25% vs. the previous year. The big problem on the graphic novel list was at the top, where sales on Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 11 (2004) had to compete with those on JLA Liberty and Justice (2003), which sold almost five times as many copies.

We glanced at the quarter to date numbers, to see if the slight increase in sales this month would bring sales for the quarter back in the positive realm.But sales were down around 15% for October and November combined, up only slightly from the 16% decline in October (see 'Comic Dollars Skid 16% in October).

It will take a good December to bring the total for Q4 into positive growth.